This invention relates to retractable stair and porch assemblies for trailers and the like.
There has been a long-recognized need for portable or retractable stairs, ladders and porch combinations to accommodate the entry and exit from vehicles having a rather high floor, such as campers, mobile homes, vans, house trailers and the like. The prior art illustrates a number of attempts to meet these needs with specific structures adapted for use with different structural needs of campers, trailers and mobile homes. For example, the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,929,654; 2,786,710; and 3,515,406 demonstrate solutions to the problems connected with house trailers, campers and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,078 relates to a simple ladder assembly for use with a truck to unload or load from the rear.
However, there is an increasing demand for a stair and porch combination to use with semi-trailers which have been converted to on-site construction offices. Many construction projects are located in remote areas and do not have access to permanent office facilities or structures. In these instances, it has been found necessary to haul a large semi-trailer into the area and outfit it with a door, windows and office furnishings. Since the trailer floor is a considerable distance from the ground, stair and porch means must be provided for convenient access. Moreover, when the trailer must be moved to a new location, it is desirable to be able to easily move the stair and porch combination with the trailer.
Those ladders, porches and stairs disclosed in the prior art do not solve the specific problem of the construction trailer, and resort has been had, of necessity to a wooden porch and step combination that is simply placed adjacent to the trailer door. When the trailer is moved, the wooden structure cannot either be dismantled, or hauled in another vehicle to the new site.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a retractable porch and stair apparatus which can be permanently attached to the trailer at the door, and can be retracted under the trailer for traveling with a minimum of lost time and effort.